Hoisting apparatus is known, in which a hoisted load is traversed or moved manually, but in such apparatus the movement or manipulation is dangerous and requires a worker to be present at both the location of loading and the location of unloading. With such prior known apparatus, the worker at the loading station controls the lifting of the load, and after it is transferred to the unloading station, the worker at this next station is required to control the lowering of the load.
Traversing the load in such prior devices has required a worker to either push the load manually to the next station after it is hoisted, or the worker operated a separate traversing motor to move the load to the next station. Where the load is moved manually, heavy loads have a tendency to swing on the supporting cable or chain, and can cause injury. Also there is always the danger that the cable or chain will slip as a result of a malfunction of the hoisting device or its drive motor, causing the load to fall or be lowered on the worker.
Where a separate motor is used to traverse the load, it has been customary to mount the hoisting motor on the movable carriage, which requires flexible power lines such as flexible electrical cables, pneumatic lines, or hydraulic lines, depending on the power requirements of motor used in the hoisting apparatus.